it sounds as though ideology is more important than leadership and power? >> it sure sounded like that. one of the things that michael mentioned during the interview was that they are interested in making the case to the voters that members of congress should be doing innings. for instance, they favor an extension of the armed bills so that they can rework it into separate pieces and have a vision for what the farm bill should look like. it is entirely possible that their vision will not be the one that is the most popular in the contrary.

it seems like heritage action is ok with that. >> what does this mean with politics as we go into an election cycle? >> you have so many issues that have to be addressed. you have the debt limit. it is not packed any immigration bill. if you adjust it the conference, it is not comprehensive. i do not know that one is predicting they will win back the house. >> there is always a question when you are approaching a

government shutdown and how it will actually affect people. certainly if you are in washington, dc the effect of a government shutdown will be huge because you will see, and the 596 case there were affect locally. maybe people will not see as much elsewhere in the country. it was worded in such a way that it is trying to portray a certain view of how a government shutdown might be for trade. if we get into a government shutdown, you might want to

throw all the polls out of the window. >> we appreciate your time. >> next, the clinical action committee, a townhall focus on women candidates. , theq&a and later republican national committee launches its rising stars program. on the next "washington journal," the challenges facing the u.s. economy. we will talk with robert bixby.

then, some details on the on the health care law administration's decision to delay limits on out-of-pocket -- out-of-pocket expenses for insurance. and the nuclear regulation committee review. live at 7:00 a.m. eastern on c- span. >> what is interesting about washington at this age, once you have that title, even if it is a short title, even if you can vote it out after one turn -- term, you can be a former chief of staff, a former congressman, a former chief of staff. that is marketable. au are in the club. that is striking departure from the days in which people would come to washington to serve, serve a

little bit, and then go back, which is how the founders had intended it. a lotis a new dynamic and of it starts with money and the resources available for people to do very well. look.ight, and insiders >> now, missouri senator claire kassel speaking at a town hall meeting about electing a woman president. .his was hosted in iowa it is about one hour and 20 minutes. iowa

>> good morning. welcome to iowa and the madam president iowa town hall. let me state the obvious. it is no coincidence why the hawkeye state was chosen for the first madam president tour. iowa is to successful presidential campaigns what kate kennedy was to the first and later flights to the moon. iowa is the launchpad. [applause] now some might say that we are awfully ambitious in our aim to elect a woman to the white house in 2016. let's be clear, this is just the beginning of our ambition. we are here to build a pipeline of women for the future. and to take their place on the presidential ticket not only in 2016 but 2020, 2024, and beyond. [applause] you and i want our daughters and granddaughters to grow up in an america where electing a woman president is as common as a electing a woman governor a woman senator.

we want our daughters to aspire, not to be america's first woman president, but to be the fifth or the 10th woman's president -- or 10th woman president. [applause] that day is going to come sooner than you think. and let the record show that the journey began here, today, in iowa. [applause] now please join me in watching a wonderful video. >> the future of washington, d.c. action. >> thank you.

i always dreamed of this, standing here, and it is because of you all that i can. the millions who stood up your my mom told me i could be anything i want. you know, it did not used to be like that. >> a long time ago women did not even get to vote. >> my mom told me that when she grew up, no one ever thought there would be a woman president. can you imagine? they were all boys. [laughter] >> women phot -- fought 200 years ago. >> i am here because the elected women before me. >> i am here because my friends said i could run for office. when women lead, new ideas are formed. economies strive and communities grow stronger. that is the american way. we do not give up. [cheers] [applause]

>> please join me in welcoming a member of iowa radio who will be our moderator. >> on behalf of my colleagues, welcome to this event.

let me introduce our first panelist who has managed successful campaigns for jim webb and amy klobuchar. she managed oklahoma for the 2004 presidential candidate. she was part of a 2012 campaign in iowa. welcome. [applause] our next panelist is a former financial consultant running a household with six children these days. she won a seat in the iowa senate and -- in 2006 and served

one term. she is running for the third congressional seats of iowa. lee's welcome the former senator. -- please welcome the former senator. [applause] our third panelist was director for howard dean's presidential campaign in 2004 and 2006. she managed a successful campaign out of montana. in 2008, she managed al franken's campaign and the recount. [laughter] 2010, named president of the group hosting this event. please welcome stephanie. [applause] our final guest is a former prosecutor and the first woman to give birth while being an active member of the missouri legislature. [laughter]

in 2006 she became the first woman elected to the u.s. senate. in 2012, she won reelection in one of the most-watched races in the country. this past june, she said it is important to start early. please welcome the senior senator from the state of missouri claire mccaskill. [applause] senator mccaskill, let's begin with you. why is it important to start

early? >> well, i think we have to realize that in a day of citizens united where there is huge money that can be written behind closed doors and flood airwaves with distorted information, the best anecdote for that is a mootness. all of us, if we want to confess in fact, let's raise our hand if you spend more than $20 on the internet. [laughter] ok, so you know how to do it. you click and you put in your credit card. we have to have millions of people engaged and ready for what will be a pivotal race in american history. and that is about getting everyone excited now about what i hope will be that moment in 2017 when we all get to say "madam president" to hillary rodham clinton. [applause] >> senator, if she does not run, would you? >> no. [laughter] >> why not? >> well, first -- >> [inaudible]

[applause] >> thank you. for a lot of complicated reasons, some of which are personal. my daughter lily is here. stand up so they can see how proud i am of you. [applause] some of it is family. i was blessed to be very close to a presidential campaign, so i have seen it up close and ugly. i know what it really is about and how hard it is. and i am really fortunate to be in the u.s. senate, representing

the state that is not even as blue as you, and i know you all struggle in iowa with some extreme elements of the republican party having more muscle than they deserve. my state is certainly that way, so i feel a particular obligation to stay in this office and do the very best i can for all the values that we hold dear. [applause] >> stephanie, folks in the audience may have read stories about you recently. you decided not to go back to your hometown and run. why not? >> well, truthfully, there are two reasons. one is that i am not currently living in the state of montana. it has been a while. the other reason is right here before us. on the emily's list madam president campaign, we are so close here to making history that i wanted to be part of that. and i wanted to really help build this movement of the senators -- that the senator was just talking about of engaging to find the right candidate, the best candidate, and we know that there are great women in the pipeline ready to be the next president, whether it is hillary clinton or amy klobuchar of minnesota, kristin hildebrand.

we have to look at 2016, 2020, and 2024. >> is this hillary clinton's first campaign event? [laughter] >> is she here? that would be huge. the honest truth here is that the madam president campaign is really to initiate a discussion about the importance of women's leadership in this country, whether it is in the white house which we would truly like to see, in the senate, or right here in iowa where i believe we are going to make history in 2014 by electing one, maybe two, women to congress for the first time. this is so critically important to what is happening every day in our families and our communities to have women's voices there. from congress to the governor's

steps to the white house. we have to on building up momentum. >> senator, earlier this year use of family obligations would keep you from running. what changed your mind? >> i think a recognized that we can do better than i think we are doing right now. [applause] so the people of iowa asked me to take a send -- take a second look at it and my family agreed with it, so here we are. >> in 2012 one of the most well-

known women of iowa failed in her bid for congress. what did you learn about that contest? >> i think it is a very different race than that race. >> this is a race where we have an experienced woman running against an incumbent that is up there being part of the solution but also part of the problem. i come with a wealth of experience being a state senator that took part and let the charge with wonderful pieces of legislation that a dress the statewide smoking ban, equal pay for equal work -- things that my opponent has voted against. the reorganization of state government that saved hundreds of millions of dollars -- taking that experience and putting t it againstom latham is a huge contrast so we can make a huge difference there. >> jessica, what are the lessons of the christie vill sack campaign? >> [indiscernible] one of the greatest lessons we learned is -- >> still can't hear you. >> a woman can win in iowa.

there is a lot of women here who have run and tried and a lot of great women who are going to win next year. first of all, i want to say that christie was a great and today. she raised more money, actually, in iowa than tom harkin did in his races. she was formidable but the district was too difficult and had she ran in the third

congressional district, she would be a congresswoman today. i truly believe that. [applause] from a political operative standpoint, it is time to stop saying that women cannot win in iowa. it is just not the case. i did learn there are women in this district that she ran in that have a difficult time voting for women. becky knows - but there are many more voters that make up for those people. for anyone to come in and say hillary or anyone else will have a hard time winning iowa is not true. >> i think what is really interesting and -- in some of our polling at emily's list

recently, we did polling in iowa and we wanted to debunk that. we know women can win here. they are winning in the legislature and we know that this can be and it was clear -- 96% of caucus-goers said they were ready to vote for a woman for the white house. 96%. 95% think there will be a woman in the race. 75% think i woman will be in the white house after 2016. this state is more than ready and it is more ready in that polling the sum of our other ballot -- battleground states around the country .

i think because of the christievilsack race and the historic 2012 election were so many great women won their elections where we have an historic number of women in the senate, there is momentum building and we have to keep that going. >> stephanie earlier alluded to two women who announced their candidacy in the first congressional district, monica vernon and - what does your day to tell you about the success i might have in that particular district? >> i think we have a great opportunity here. after 28 years of work, we have three women running in one district. that was a problem 20 years ago. that is a good thing and i expect to see more of these races in the future. we should have more women running in every race. this is a really good thing. we got a great opportunity and it is possible that we would send two women to the house of representatives. >> what to the registration numbers tell you about the potential for democrats? >> i think this is working now. you mean in stacy's district? the first district is interesting. there is a lot of people in that district who are from the same area and how it will break down, obviously, the person who wins the primary will win the general election. if we have three strong women, it gives us a great shot to actually elect a woman there and, obviously, in stacy's district, we had a few conversations and it is a 50/50 district.

there is no reason why stacy should not win and become the next hungers woman. -- congresswoman. there are so many opportunities and if anyone comes a way with this today, we will elect women in iowa before the presidential race starts so nobody can come in here and again and say that i once don't like women. >> stephanie, what about the prospect that has been raised of having three women in a primary that will split the female vote? >> some of us have seen this. >> we have to remember that this is progress. sometimes progress is painful. there was a time when i first started running 30 years ago, there were no role models out there. yes, there was barbara jordan, geraldine ferraro, a few but not like today. not where when you turn on c- span, you look on the senate floor and you see flashes of color everywhere. [laughter] by the way, we have to build

bigger bathrooms. we have so many women. when you have women in the pipeline, which is what this is all about -- it is not just about madam president. madame president is a metaphor for enabling young women to see that the city council races worth it. the school board races worth it. the state legislative seat is worth it. that city council seat is worth it and as we populate all those places with more women, they will but heads. but we cannot get stressed about that. we have to realize that is a

sign of strength and the more women we have out there running, yes, there will be a few times we will have to arm wrestle. there will be a few disagreements. at the end of the day, we will be rolled modeling millions of young women that this is a career that is exciting, challenging, it is rewarding, and it's worth it. >> also, if you have multiple men in a primary, no one asks how they will split the male vote. [applause] >> exactly right. >> you just vote for the best candidate. it is about the campaign and the debate. the senator is right. the concept of one woman and she will carry the water for all

women in the country -- who is that woman? i would like to meet her or the one man who carries all the water for every man in the country. it is not helping the work. what is going to work is when we have an equal number of women and men sitting at those decision-making tables, making policies for our country moving forward and having the debates we are having. they are incredibly important. senator mccaskill is in the middle of one of these debates right now with the senate armed services committee about what to do related to what is happening with sexual assault in the military. here is the thing about that debate -- something will get done and 20 years ago, when there was the tailhook scandal, some of you remember, nothing happened. now we've got women, a number of women, coming up with solutions so we will get to the right solution. something is going to happen. as a means to have women's voices there and i am thankful we see the the numbers we see. >> there has been a discussion about congress. there are only three -- 23 congresswomen that have been female. >> it's great. >> only 23 women have been elected governor but there is no female candidate in iowa. anybody want to run for governor? talk to me afterwards. >> that would be wonderful. >> the truth is, we keep tilting the pipeline. as i look forward, i am sure there are folks thinking about this but the truth is, we've got great women running for congress.

this is how we build the pipeline. this is the success in states around the country but these governorships are really important. i'm glad you brought it up. right now, there was only one democratic woman governor in the country and she is in new hampshire, we've got to change that. we are recruiting very hard. we will have a lot of women, hopefully, if all goes well, the great stennis -- senator wendy davis of texas will think about running for governor. [applause] if we want to see a woman in the white house, which we do, we also need to see and support women running in governorships. these are executive leader positions and in the united states, 24 states have not ever come in their history, elected a woman governor. they are not alone. we have to do this so this is another piece of the puzzle.

once you see it, you get it. it is not an issue anymore. we've got to keep on pushing state-by-state and i truly believe that once we break the glass ceiling for the white house, it will open up so many doors for so many women across the country in governors and mayors races and city council and you name it. that is why it is so important. >> senator mccaskill, your mother was an elected official. is she why you ran? >> a simple way of putting it -- i certainly thank my mother and father gave me permission to be bossy and opinionated. [laughter] my dad reassured me that even though no one really wanted to date me in college, it would get better. [laughter] >> i can't even believe that is true. >> i was bossy and opinionated. my mother was a masterful politician and every good sense of that word. what she taught me was there was never anybody in the room you needed to look past. and that the values that we have in this room, the reason we are here, is not because you want anything from anybody. you just want your government to

reflect your values and fighting for those values is an honorable thing to do. my parents did not believe people who run for elected office were involved. they did not believe government was the enemy. not necessarily government was the answer but government is not the enemy. i had a kind of up ringing that clearly many elected officials in this country did not have because they are busy selling a lot of cynicism and negativity that we've got to destroy government in order to be free. that is not the kind of household i was raised in. my mom was terribly embarrassing

for me when she ran. this is a quick true story -- she was the first woman elected to the city council in columbia, missouri so we go to her swearing in when i was in high school and she had a cheshire cat smile because she was carrying a a brown grocery sack and she took the oath and after she took the oath, she opened the brown grocery sack, being the first woman elected, and took out first a vase of flowers and seven on her desk and then took out a tank -- a picture of us and took out an apron and tied it on. i was like,"oh, my god." all four of us children did not know her. she was that kind of flamboyant she grabbed life by the jugular and shook it and i have never met a stranger -- and i am sitting here because of her, no

question in my mind. [applause] >> stephanie, that story speaks to the way women make decisions about running. if they don't have a role model, how difficult is it for you to convince a woman that she should run for office i don't think there is a woman in this country that does not have a role model now. >> they are either in their life directly where they are serving in the united states senate. i remember talking to a woman about running for congress and this probably sounds familiar -- we should ask stacy her story of deciding -- we were trying to recruit a woman to run for the house in wisconsin. she was so close to running and we said you could do it. she called me and said i don't know what to do with my kids. well, i did not exactly know what to do with her kids because i don't have the pleasure of

having my own but i said i know somebody who does. got on the phone with congresswoman wasserman schultz who is serving in the house who has three kids and ran with an infant, she gets it. sure enough, the two of them got together and i got a call back 30 minutes later and our candidate was in the race. this is the connection that we have made across the country. stacy, i'm sure you have a similar story of going through that process and the family support and the kids looking at you. tell that story. >> most of the folks probably know that when i ran for the iowa senate the first time, i was pregnant. our baby was born two weeks after i was elected. it was crazy as everybody knows.

it was our fifth child. just being newly elected and running pregnant -- it is an interesting experience but you can do it because i am -- when we decide to run for office and we have children and we talk about showing young women that they can do it, i think it is almost as important as showing young men that we can do it. as a mom of five boys, you change the way they think. and how they perceive things. that really makes a difference. >> you mentioned the polling in iowa slightly democratic caucus. 98% said they were ready for a woman to be president. but when asked if there is a gender difference in leadership, 78% said yes.

explain that and is that a detriment or an asset for a female candidate? >> i think it is all good because to assume that men and women are the same -- we are not exactly the same. there are some differences. that's why it is important to have so many diverse into voices in all this. in the polling which i thought was incredible, the voters not just here in iowa but in some of the other battleground states, particularly in iowa where they had other issues that were at for women, they saw that women leaders brought the right trade and judgment to the job and that they are willing to put family and country before partisan politics and will help end partisan bickering. i don't think anybody in this room -- [applause] absolutely. part of that is what we have

already been saying with the women who have commented ever been whether it is the state legislature or in congress, they really do find ways to get things done. it is not always easy, i know, for anybody serving in the legislature but they do really work hard together. because of those examples, you can see what a woman president would be like in trying to find solutions to work with everybody. i'm not saying that the men don't do that, they do. but we do it all the time because we've got to do with their families all the time. it is hard. >> with all the boys at home, i don't know how she gets everything done but she does. >> a day in the office of a senator or the president of the united states is probably -- as complicated as a mother of six. there is a lot of moving pieces and that's the balance. >> jessica, christie vilsack

made the theme of her campaign that she was not a partisan candidate. did that affect things? >> obviously, we were not successful in electing her but it was effective in the way that people realized that they had a choice in that campaign. specifically, we were running against somebody who was a tea partier, now seemingly running for president and very extreme. i think what we learned when we looked at the race and kristi's message in general and polling and information we got -- people were sick of the bickering in washington. no offense to the great senator here but you don't get a nine percent approval rating when people want to get things done. even though it was not successful, it sent a message you can run a campaign on positive issues and positive

policy initiatives and talk about how you don't have to go back and forth against each other. when you get to washington, you can build relationships and get things done for your district. i think it is a thing that other people can running can use because people were drawn to that theme. >> senator mccaskill, with the women in the u.s. senate and the idea that women are collaborators, how is that working out? >> i think there is a choice between combat and compromise. i think women naturally gravitate toward compromise as opposed to combat. it is a big generalization and their is always exceptions to every rule but i watch my women colleagues, particularly watch how we work with our republican women colleagues. when we are trying to figure out

if something is doable, i go to susan collins and ask what she thinks. i work with kelly ayotte and there is this sense of we can talk about this and not have too much testosterone in the conversation about who is winning and losing. that is one of the things about our politics that i think we forget. it will be hard because we have a divided government and our founding fathers allowed this to happen. the house of representatives has a mandate and the american people think the senate has a different mandate and then you have a polarized president which is not his fault. he has tried. that is the kind of stew that does not result in everyone holding hands and singing "kumbayah." that's why women are important to this.

we were aghast at the incredibly important legislation of violence against women being kicked to the curb the house of representatives -- who did we turn to to get speaker john boehner to put it on the floor for a vote even though the majority of his caucus had not embraced it? it was the women in the house, the republican women in the house. we put pressure on them and said step up, put pressure on your leadership, or do you really want to wear the manifold for the rest of your life that it was your party that stopped this life-saving legislation for millions of women across the country? it worked. i fought for funding for planned parenthood where we united across the aisle, women, that understood that you'd not produce abortions by -- you don't reduce abortions by reducing the ability to give birth control. [applause]

i'm from the midwest so i can say with authority that that is just dumb. [laughter] we stood shoulder to shoulder as women so i think even though it looks like a mess and many days it is a mess, there are many rays of hope and we have had more of our colleagues feel marginalized by the extreme elements in their party that are willing to come forward and work with us. we saw it on immigration, the farm bill, republicans in the senate willing to work with us. if it would only catch fire in the house we would begin to make more progress. >> stephanie, in 2007 after hillary clinton said she was in it to win it, she often said she is not running because she is a woman. she is a woman running because she thought she was the most qualified for the job. that seems to dampen the

excitement of people who go thinking that i am seeing a candidate who may be the first female president. how do candidates negotiate that in trying to maintain the excitement about a female candidate while at the same time not making it about the fact that they are a female candidate? >> for any woman candidate to be successful, and we have proven this over 28 years on emily's list, it is about who the best candidate is. it is not about gender when you go into the voting booth. it really isn't. you have to make your case as a candidate whether you or a woman or a man or democrat or republican, you have to make that case. she is right. we want to elect the best person for president. there is no one in here does not want to elect the best person for president. i want to say to open your minds because there is a list of women that could be on that list and should be in that debate. that is the -- that is the difference of this conversation.

that is really important. hillary clinton is absolutely prepared, particularly, she was then and after four years of being secretary of state, she definitely has it now. we also have these incredible women on the bench who happen to be women who can really be great presidents. that is the important piece of this. as we look forward, that is something we have to keep in mind here. >> another thing she encountered in 2007 were that -- you were an obama supporter -- they did not want to re-litigate the clinton years. that caused them to support barack obama instead of hillary clinton. how does she address the fact that she has a record to defend and she has to defend her husband's record as well?

>> i think her job as secretary of state has solidified her standing as a candidate that happens to be married to a guy who used to be president. it is not that his presidency would in any way to find her presidency. i think it is important to remember that we had two candidates for president in 20 in 2008 that were amazing. these were historic candidates that made all of us that are democrats so proud of our party. it made us so proud of our country because the twos amazing candidates are running. i said to my friends who were disappointed in me when i supported barack obama -- i did not say i was going for a good old boy. this was an extraordinarily difficult decision. it was a difficult one for me and i think in many ways it is a difficult thing for our party. the good news is now we get to make history twice. we get to make history in 2008 by electing an amazing leader,

president of united states, and we get to turn around again and do it in a few years. it is our hope, anyway, that she decides to run. [applause] >> what a great party to be part of to have that opportunity where you are so proud of the candidates who are running for the white house. i think we would be remiss to not mention the cast of characters in the republican primary last go round and the ones we are starting to see already, some of which i believe are here in iowa as we speak or on their way including rick santorum who wants to get rid of all contraceptives, by the way, and ted cruz was to shut down the government, which will just destroy women and families and all americans from the things they need like social security and medicare. these are the cast of characters on the other side. the senator had mentioned the

difference of women balancing compromise versus combat. i will tell you -- as i watched the women in the senate work together across the aisle, they are arming up to face combat when they do that. these women are tough as nails and can handle any situation put in front of them. i don't have any doubts about it. that's why we've got a really good bench of democrats ready to run for the presidency. >> a lot of people talk about7-- 2008and being from iowa and talking about caucuses, i always say this is a snapshot in time and we can always go back to 2007 and 2008 and re-litigate what happened there but it is a new playing field and a new ballgame.

it is apples and oranges when you talk about those years and what will happen in 2012. the iowa electorate has even changed since then, i believe, and the people interested in the caucuses have changed. there is enthusiasm otherwise this room would not be standing room only for electing a woman or cameras in the back. people are very interested in this. as well as the other women potentially who will run. we can talk over and over about what happened then and i can give you my opinion of what i saw and how there were problems and good things and bad things but the reality is, people learned lessons and it is a new day. >> you also managed a candidate whose husband had statewide success. were the voters interested in him and her? >> that's a great point because in the beginning, every news article talked about how christie vilsack was the wife of tom vilsack. he was a beloved person in the state of iowa so she obviously

was in love with her husband that was something to embrace. the reality is that by the end of the campaign, she became her own candidate. there is a lot of people who run for congress or run for governor other offices who are somebody's something. in reality, she became her own person. was it frustrating to her? maybe sometimes, i don't know. i think she felt like what she had done and accomplished was she was able to run a real campaign and really take on $3.4 million in the fourth congressional district to show the rest of the people -- take on $3.4 million in the fourth congressional district. afterwards she did incredible things. i will also want to ignore some of the people here who are

behind the successful men -- obviously, lieutenant governor sally pederson is here. ruth harkin - it was an amazing experience to get to know her and i don't think the senator would be where he is today if it was not for her as an amazing woman who was the first woman in their family to get elected. that is also important. [applause] >> ruth has a special place among senators and it's not unusual for us to call tom harkin ruth harkin's husband [laughter] you may have noticed there is a microphone standing in the middle of the aisle so if you would like to line up if you have a question -- i will ask one final question of the panel so come forward if you have a question.

will there come a day soon when either the democrats or the republicans nominate a woman as president and a woman as vice president? >> absolutely. >> yes. [laughter] >> i don't know. you just don't know. why wouldn't it happen? why not? we definitely have the votes to do it. hillary clinton/elizabeth warren has a nice ring to it. [laughter] i don't know if either one actually wants to do that. >> amy klobuchar/claire mccaskill -- it will happen and we have come to a place where i expect to see a woman on the ticket every election we are in now. i really do. i think we have come to a place where there is such a pipeline of women who are ready to go. the ones i have mentioned and then there is a whole mother group coming up, the attorney general of california.

kathleen cane from pennsylvania. you will hear from her. maybe 10 years, maybe 15, maybe 20 but there is a group that is coming up. it is because we work so hard over nearly 30 years, particularly with emily's list on the democratic side, to ensure that women run and have had success that we now have a great pipeline. i will also add for everybody who is here, we need to continue that pipeline. this is not about one woman and one presidential race. this is about changing our society and culture. i think we can do it. >> i don't think anybody else is lined up yet so i get to ask more questions. let's talk about the senator's, the female senator, who is coming to our state soon for a political event. jessica, what can you tell us about her?

>> clearly, she is qualified to do anything she wants to do and has a lot of benefits being in good proximity to our state. i believe if she wants to run for president, she would be an amazing candidate. >> what can you tell us about her race in minnesota? >> amy klobuchar -- you just don't know. >> she could possibly be the most popular senator in the country. >> she has a 78% approval rating. i work in the beginning of her race. it was tough in the beginning. i think she won by 20 points and did the same thing in the last election. she solidified her standing across the country and people respect her. i think if she is willing to run, she will be formidable. >> i think we have a brave soul here. [laughter] in more ways than one.

>> good morning and i want to thank you for coming out. we stand behind you when you say we meet more women -- we need more women to be leaders in our nation. the one question i had -- what is the plan for emily's list to bring more women into the pipeline? >> thank you for asking. emily's list has been involved in electing all of the current women of color who serve in the house right now. and the senate but the numbers are not as good. we need more women in the senate, period, and it is a huge priority. when we talk about presidential campaigns -- the neck generation there are others on the list. there are great women coming up the pipeline that you will get to know in the years to come. we are very engaged and doing a

lot of training. we go in as an organization and bring women in together. the last cycle, we trained over 1300 women around the country, a very diverse group of women from all different races and ages and geography to run for state and local office. we're going to continue doing that. we got got to keep the pipeline going. >> senator mccaskill? >> one thing we have to stay focused on, those in a leadership capacity, is our state legislatures. you can probably speak to this there is a mission to be done in our state legislatures on women and voting on a variety of topics that are anathema to the majority of america but this extreme wing of the republican party has really taken root and done very well in state legislatures around the country. that is a place where we really all need to focus on who is

running for the state legislature and who can we get to run for the state legislature and that's where we got to do all hands on deck. i think there are many women of color who have great leadership capacity but have not had the mentoring or the encouragement. that is something we all should take on responsibility doing. thank you. [applause] >> [indiscernible] i was also in the legislature but i helped found an organization called democratic activist women's network in iowa and that's exactly what we are doing is recruiting women to run for office. on our board, we have some women of color and we recently had training sessions in two cities, lee county and for madison and

we are out talking to women. just as we finished, one got up and announced her candidacy for school board. it is happening. [applause] >> i love it. >> she brings up an important organization known as dawn's list. emily's list is busy helping that organization and there are similar organizations. we will be coming into iowa to help with a political opportunity program training to bring women together. we are looking forward to doing a lot of work with you in the months and years to come so thank you. >> this might be semantics, but how do we make women's issues

men's issues? democratic platform issues, independents -- it seems to be we are locked into partisan arguments. >> i would not be here if a wasn't for voters in missouri. it is about 1/3, 1/3, 1/3 and 30% of missouri would not vote for me no matter what and there would be 30% of them who would vote for me no matter what. there is a middle. most of those folks in the middle are perfectly willing to vote for a republican or democrat. they like compromise, they like moderation, so i think that one of the things we need to do is make sure we are communicating always with independent voters across this country. if we always put on our hats of being a political party first, we will lose those independent voters.

we've got a wonderful opportunity in this country now because the shining objects and the republican party do not translate well to independent voters. they translate very well in the base of the republican party and we all know this very well -- your caucuses are famous for picking the republicans that are not anywhere near the middle. [laughter] that is an opportunity for us. if we continue to talk about the issues that most americans care about which is college affordability, having a retirement, is there healthcare, is the bridge down the road safe, can i drive over it? barbara mikulski says there are

no macaroni and cheese -- there are only macaroni and cheese issues to talk about. these are the issues we are focused on and when we talk about those, we will get more independent voters than steve king, ted cruz, rand paul and all the others. [applause] >> i am one of the team leaders in beaverdale, as we call it. one of the problems that i have seen is that they don't -- is that women don't want to get involved in voting. what do we do to energize the women so that they will not only run, but they will get out and vote and support female candidates for whatever?

it is so they don't shy away from their opportunity or responsibility as american citizens. >> this is an incredibly important question rolling into the 2014 election when we don't have a presidential campaign. we see so much drop-off, particularly of women voters in these non-presidential election cycles. one thing we have seen in our years of research and work at emily's list -- we do all the candidate work but we also do work with women voters and get women to vote and persuade them. part of the thing we have seen is that it takes a long conversation. it is not just one quick ad and you get a woman engaged. it entails a process of information. a lot of women feel they are not getting the information they need to make a decision. as campaign people, we send them so much mail and give them tv ads but ultimately, the most

important conversation for women are one-on-one conversations with women. that is where this network we are trying to build and will be --lding and already have almose 60,000 votes and growing. we have to get that network out ofwomen see the importance being engaged in politics on any level. and the most critical level is voting. that is -- we have to have people voting. we have to have a conversation about why it is so important. the other piece that we have found is we have to walk through the impact of the people you elect. if you look at emily's website right now, you will see a study on the impact that women, particularly made inic women, have congress. it is just astounding what they

have accomplished. it is a conversation we all need to have. it is not an easy process. that is what is so great about the caucus system. you have those conversations. we need to have those conversations and states where they do not have caucuses. there is no easy way to do it. conversation. >> i don't believe and happy positive campaigns. [laughter] that are the campaigns successful have to be opposition, probably in many cases like steve king. i do not think it is effective to just the positive about happy things you would do. took it to steve king every day. you know, you were there. [laughter] >> i believe you have to have

more clarity in campaigns then i see. [indiscernible] here.d use another word the word here -- run on issues, clearly. there has to be a few of them you have to hammer over and over again. but elsewhere,wa a big one is social security and medicare. i'm sorry, but these are basic and this is why, you know what, a lot of people -- a lot of people need this. you have the differences. it has been threatened. it has been threatened since fdr . i do not see the clarity in campaigns. i know there are social issues on which women run. we have been talking about that

for a long time. i think your are basic issues women need to compress. i resent everyone running on the middle class. you know, we have a large population that has become poor. and these people have become poor through no fault of their own. to have a sense of the happy, successful women, in some ways, i think it becomes a problem. >> well, aren't array of sunshine? [laughter] >> i completely get what you are saying. what you are saying is we need to have contact. we cannot just say, we are all going to get along and show the contract -- well, the contract, there are african american women who were elect did to congress.

-- elected to congress. they represent these basic, gut level issues. i'm not sure we have the basic sorted out enough to communicate it. >> i disagree. >> well you certainly have the basics understood. [laughter] >> i think we fight every day. i mean -- >> but the campaign itself. >> i understand. and i agree with you. women need to be absolutely fearless about being ambitious and being strategic. this is not sitting down for tea . this is a tough business and you need to be laser focused on a strategy that will win and find a contract that will not only make you the one people will want to work for, but also make your opponent that no one wants.

it is both sides of that equation that are important. in 2012.to my campaign you will see of campaign where there were a lot of strategic decisions being made that were very risky. they paid off. outot the right candidate of their primary and he unfurled himself to the world in a way that allows us to present a very stark contrast. some people would have said before that race began that i would be another of those in missouri, i mean, a fortune could have been made. thought i nobody would be able to do it. they thought i was done. we were able to turn it around because we were fearless, strategic, and not afraid of taking risks. that is something women need to embrace. that is something too many women, like you say, have this

idea that if i just get my ideas out there, unicorns are going to fly and rainbows will be everywhere. it is not that simple. [applause] >> with emily's list, and those of you who know us -- our history, we do not do this because we tiptoe through the tulips. we did this because we win races. at the end of the day it is about contract. ad what happened in 2012 was clear contract where women -- first of all, women and women voters and men voters -- i was asked earlier about the men's agenda versus the women's agenda. they are all the same. we have a republican party right now that wants to turn the clock back on our rights and opportunities so far back, i mean, we are talking 1950's,

1940 route. i do not know how far back they want to take us. we want to talk about equal pay. they want to dismantle social security and medicare. they want to make government not work. if that happens, women and families will be left behind so spend.eir heads will the contract is clear. we do not intend to just talk about madam president. we intend to make it happen in 2016. thank you. hello, i would like to thank you for putting on this event. senator mccaskill, i would like to cheer you on. [applause] too.had tears in my eyes, >> i have two comments and two questions. one bleeds into the other. i would like you to speak more

about what emily's list is doing in terms of men's viewership. i had wonderful guides and teachers and i do not know what i would do without them. what are you doing about hooking up women who are running with good men who are so key, and my question -- stacy, you can see this -- how can we convince candidates like me who have experienced the devastation of a loss in an election to run again? it is a horrible feeling. she knows what i went through. how do you get them to do it again? >> well, i don't know very many women senators who have not lost the race. in fact, i can't think of any.

>> yeah. lost, my race for lost so much004, i more than in the -- i learned so much more and and the victories i had up to that point. you can do this. anybody who loses, you learn from and to pick up and you try again. we would not have women in important places around this country if everyone quit after one loss. you know? i can't think of any presidents who have not lost races. everyone -- >> we are talking about hillary right now, but sometimes i think you have to lose fights in order to win. because it is hard. you have to get your information out there. you have to become a respected candidate. it is devastating and difficult, but it's not personal.

if you did not get back in there and remember it is not personal -- go run again. exactly right. i might be the perfect example for you. we just met a couple weeks ago at a picnic. one of the biggest losses for us was the state senate. i lost. i lost a very visible race we never expected to lose. >> that was one of the most successful races that year. >> and i'm running. >> i guess how does that factor into your decision making? how did you put your name forward having lost? can makee i believed i a difference. that year was an anomaly. it was a bad year for democrats. yes, it was. in it and the people of iowa believe in it and

that is why they asked me to run and that is why i am here. i think the people of iowa would ask you to run again, as well. happened --ring that is exactly what happened. did you not send people in from pc to individually winter. we sent an network of folks to talk about, what to a need to do differently and encourage each other, and i asked the men to do the same, to encourage women to run for office. frome so very far away where we want to be in the percentage of women in office. we need women and men to help encourage and get men to do this. the united states -- think about this. 77 electedstates, women in office. that is unacceptable.

to keep going.ks campaigns are not easy. no one is saying that campaigns are easy. but i will tell you what. they are sure worth it. thank you for what you're doing. >> did you say one of the main problems women face while running is the criticism of appearance. we change that conversation and reminds men that it is not what is in here and in here and what is on the outside? that -- we were just talking about that. know, one of the things you have to learn to do when you run for office is the realist at be talk about -- is realistic and talk about strategic. you cannot be strategic if you are not realistic. first impressions matter. yes, look at the campaign as one long job interview. everyday you have to prepare as

though you're interviewing for a i wasow, i will confess shopping for bangs -- [laughter] woman walked up to me. i was like, you are not taking pictures of me and the underwear store. i look terrible. about him,e all talk husbands. eight.so wa i had terribly poor thing said about me for being fat. i was too fat to do this or too fat to do that. this is the reality. ato not see a quick fix.

instead, you just have to do it like a job interview. >> i fully agree, but i think there are small things we can do. i find myself looking at other people and saying things. we cannot do that anymore. if other people are saying it, you have to shut it down. at people will say things about people's appearance and we find ourselves being caught up in this, but those are the small changes we can make. the people who call it out on a national level and realize -- it is also a realization that what people are saying is wrong and saying that is wrong. we are not going to put up with that anymore. i do not know any other -- to do it other than to other than when we find ourselves doing the same thing or hear people talking, making a comment. >> i was hoping the culture which shipped. i still have hope. as the millennial generation

comes up and everything is online in every picture you have ever taken is out there, i cannot wait until those campaigns. i am gen x. i am in the middle. is, i think it might help. maybe moving into a new phase. one thing to say -- women get hit so much harder for this. i thought it would end the appearance fees. but i have worked for three big major candidates. one would get e-mails about how bad suit that -- how bad his suits were. the other i would get e-mails about his wei w are going to the lowest common denominator. we are not lifting the conversation up. we are going to bring the men down on this one.

that is unfortunate for the culture. we have to get out of this. i do not think it will happen in the political worlds. it has to happen in the pop culture. we need your help on that. good question. that is a really good question. >> i think we have time for one more question. >> a final question. i know someone has one out there. can i -- iowa, the race is being attacked through nitpicking tele-health, the iowa board of medical examiners. this will only impact planned parenthood. we protectw do rights under roe v wade and had we maintain that?

>> we have to win elections. we have to win elections. are and whocymakers is in power in making those decisions. and we are living in the aftermath of the 2010 elections. this is insidious. party, right-wing, conservative, republicans are -- they are invading the rest of the republican party, quite frankly. they have decided this is their moment and they are going to healthay at reproductive care. and women's healthcare in general. we are not just talking about planned parenthood. we're talking about cancer screenings and birth control. serious family issues. economic issues. thinks that birth control is a social issue clearly has never bought birth control.

or has not bought diapers. [laughter] but they will. we are in a very dangerous time right now. state-by-state, we see things we have never seen before. it is really willing things backwards. what we just saw in texas -- it was outrageous, but the state had already passed the invasive vaginal ultrasound bill. that was before we even heard about it in virginia. i have to of the day, tell you, the one thing we have to do is win elections. that is how we get there. [applause] >> i think that applause -- someone applauded

your answer, but not my question. [laughter] >> that was wonderful. wonderful. i would also like to say as the andident of emily's list the organization proudly running this matter and president -- madam president program, thank you for joining us for our first town hall. there is no better place to start then right here in iowa. thank you for your last jollity. thank you for having us. we will take this to new hampshire -- of course, second -- and in nevada. you will see a lot more. i ask you to join this movement. slist.org, sign up for madam president. get your friends to sign up for

it. and your husband and your son and your coworkers. we can get this done. elect the very best person president of the united states. that, please another round of applause for these incredible women. [applause] and here is to a woman president! thank you. i'm sorry? oh, ok. did we -- [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2013] [captioning performed by national captioning institute]

>> thank you for being here. thank you. thank you. we are going to count on iowa. >> wonderful. >> thank you. thank you. great. down inw you would be

denver. >> i am. i will be there tonight. thank you. are you going to be here for the lunch or no? >> no, i have to go. >> it is the 50th anniversary of the naacp tonight. i have to do that event. thank you. thank you very much. nice to meet you. you made that comment, i was really glued to stephen gold bear and john oliver. -- stephen colbert. >> they had a blast, didn't they? >> how dangerous do you think the possible secretary of state is -- i think she has skill and courage and they will have a tea party primary which will mean he has to pay attention to the not have someone

they can dress up as a moderate during the primary. i think right now -- hope he gets defeated. i really do. nice to meet you. >> nice to meet you. >> hi. certainly hope they win. time.aigned last i was really disappointed. [indiscernible] excited. >> thank you very much. thank you so much. >> [indiscernible] good luck to you. >> thank you.

>> good. i'm glad. >> hello. i am running -- >> oh! that was wonderful. i love your candor. being appear in iowa. everyone is here. >> yes, absolutely. >> ok. ok. >> [indiscernible] >> wonderful. wonderful. >> i have a lot of friends in st. louis. there is a high population -- >> we have a huge population from bosnia. the largest in the country. i'm glad that you know that. >> absolutely. absolutely. they are great. good democrats.

>> they are great democrats. >> hang in there. >> i appreciate that. >> i love talking to you. >> [indiscernible] >> congratulations to you. thank you very much. >> ok, right over here. [indiscernible]

>> tomorrow on the c-span network, the air force association host the discussion on military defense strategies and planning during a time of tightening budgets. that is live at 9:30 a.m. eastern. and the expansion of electronic surveillance and human rights discussed by the new york -- the new america foundation. that is live at the clock em eastern here on c-span. -- that is live at the clock p.m. eastern here on c-span. ♪ >> if we turn away from the needs of others, we unite ourselves with those forces in bringing about the suffering.

that we is a pulpit ought to take advantage of. >> obesity in this country is nothing short of a public health crisis. i would tell him when someone have their own agenda. it is such a shame, really. >> i think they turned a window on the past for what was going on with american women. becomes the chief confidant. really the only person in the world he can trust. >> many of the first ladies were writers, journalists. ladies are frankly more interesting as human beings and their husbands. if only because they are not first and foremost defined and limited in their political ambition. >> when you go to the white house today, it is really eat it roosevelt's white house. -- edith roosevelt's white

house. >> there was too much looking down. i think it was a little too sad. not enough change of pace. >> yes, ma'am. every first lady has done what ever is her personality and her interest. thate wrote in her memoir i myself have never made any decision. i only decided what was important and when to present it to my husband. stop and think about how much power that is. that is a lot of power. >> part of the battle against thatr is to fight the fear accompanies the disease. way wetransformed the look at these bugaboos and made it possible for countless people

and to flourish as a result. presidentsw how many had that kind of impact on the way we live our lives. >> just walking around the white house grounds, i am constantly reminded about all the people who have lived there before and particularly all of the women. first ladies -- influence and image. a c-span original series produced in cooperation with the white house historical association. premieres september night as we explore the modern era and first ladies from edith roosevelt to michelle obama. " with author mark leibovitch followed by the rising starsrty's program. and lady -- and later senator

amy klobuchar headlines a fundraiser. ♪ ," new yorkk on "q&a times magazine correspondent and author mark leibovitch discusses his new book entitled "this town: two parties nd a funeral -- plus plenty of valet parking! -- in america's gilded capital." >> mark leibovitch, author of own," i want to show you some video and get you to comment on it. chartered a boat. -- they chartered a bus to take some visitors. i cannot tell you the last time i heard